Ukraine Faces Winter Emergency as Russia Intensifies Attacks on Power Grid (Worthy News Radio)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Ukraine is facing a deepening state of emergency, with Kyiv saying Russia has not spared a single Ukrainian power plant from attack since its all-out invasion began nearly four years ago. The renewed Russian strikes are coming as the country endures one of its harshest winters in years.

Ukraine’s new energy minister warned Friday that a surge in Russian aerial bombardments has plunged hundreds of thousands of people into darkness and cold, with prolonged power and heating outages reported across multiple regions.

Denys Shmyhal said Russia carried out 612 attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure last year alone. The campaign has intensified in recent months as nighttime temperatures dropped to minus 18 degrees Celsius, or near zero Fahrenheit, exacerbating civilian suffering.

Humanitarian organizations say the extreme cold is compounding an already dire situation.

Jaime Wah, deputy head of the Kyiv delegation of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said delivering aid has become increasingly difficult.

“The situation is quite critical,” Wah said. “We have been experiencing power outages on and off for months. But the lack of heating has become unbearable, especially at night when temperatures drop to minus 20. I am sitting in an office now with no heating, no electricity. We manage, but it is more difficult than it has ever been — especially since the escalation of this conflict.”

HEATING POINTS AVAILABLE

Across Kyiv, authorities have opened emergency heating points, offering hot meals, warm drinks, and psychological support for residents struggling to cope with the cold and damage to homes.

Kyiv resident Tanya Fiona said the centers have become a lifeline for many. “This is good,” she said while resting at one of the facilities. “If your home, like mine, faces freezing temperatures and pipes explode because of shelling, this heating point is a great idea. When your pipes are broken because of explosions, this help is very important.”

The renewed Russian attacks on energy facilities — which have also killed and injured civilians — come as Western allies debate how to expand support for Ukraine.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Russia has already used nuclear-capable missiles against Ukrainian targets. “Russia’s brutal war of aggression continues,” Rutte said. “We saw just last week the use of the Oreshnik missile on Lviv and continued attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure. Russia is trying to deter us from supporting Ukraine, but we will not be deterred.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Moscow has relentlessly targeted Ukraine’s power grid throughout the nearly four-year war — particularly during winter — in what Kyiv describes as an effort to “weaponize the cold” to break civilian morale.
Zelenskyy acknowledged the strain on the country’s defenses, saying it has been difficult and exhausting to secure new air-defense missiles from abroad.

He revealed that at one point, some Ukrainian air-defense systems ran out of ammunition, leaving key regions exposed — until a new shipment arrived on Friday.

Despite the mounting pressure, Ukrainian officials say the country remains determined to endure the winter and continue resisting Russia’s assault on its civilian infrastructure.

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